I can trace my unhealthy obsession with duct tape all the way back to my childhood.  While all the kids who live in town and had cable TV were watching “Thundercats” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” I was out in the boondocks glued to PBS.  It was there that I learned the wonders of nature from shows like “Wild America” and developed a taste for dry, British humor by watching “Are You Being Served?”  But the show that left the biggest impression and taught me the most important lessons was the Canadian classic “The Red Green Show.”  Red Green was a huge advocate for duct tape, calling it “the handyman’s secret weapon.”  And while I never used it to turn a barbeque grill into scuba gear or a school bus into a blimp, I have found it to be an indispensable crafting tool.

Duct tape is such a handy solution to so many problems that you can find it nearly everywhere; I’ve seen it at gas stations, the grocery store, and they even carry it at Dollar Tree.  While dollar store duct tape isn’t quite as tough as its contractor-grade cousin, the softer texture is actually an advantage in many crafting situations.  (For instance, if you are making a duct tape prom dress, a little less stiffness is a good thing.)

Resourceful crafters around the web have come up with dozens of ingenious uses for this sticky, silver household standby.  (Or if silver isn’t your thing, look for duct tape in all kinds of spiffy colors and patterns.)  Here is a roundup of a few ideas to get you rolling:

Duct Tape Basics

Heather wrote a short guide to a few essential basics of working with duct tape at her other blog, CROQzine: Duct Tape Basics.

Duct Tape Fabric

Duct tape fabric is the basis for tons of great duct tape craft projects, including wallets, purses, and garments.  If you can make it out of regular fabric, you can make it out of duct tape fabric.  Imagine the possibilities!  There are a lot of duct tape fabric tutorials out there; my favorite is a YouTube video from MRDucttapeman13.

Duct Tape Dress Form by Wild Onion Studio

Duct Tape Dress Form

If you sew clothing, you know that a dress form is a can’t-live-without-it tool.  If you’ve ever gone shopping for a dress form, you know that they are quite expensive as well.  With a few rolls of duct tape, an old t-shirt, and a little help from a friend, make your own custom duct tape dress form at a fraction of the cost.  Threads magazine has a great duct tape dress form tutorial.

Duct Tape Sandals

Instructables user thechad86 came up with a fashionable use for duct tape that I had not yet seen: duct tape sandals!  They are perfect for people (like me) who habitually misplace their shoes at the beach, or as a quick solution for icky campground showers when you’ve forgotten your flip-flops.

Duct Tape Bridal Bouquets

If you’ve never seen a duct tape rose before, you may be skeptical at the suggestion.  However, using duct tape flowers to make DIY bridal bouquets is cheaper than fresh floral and more attractive than most reasonably-priced silk flowers.  That’s why all of the flowers at my upcoming wedding will be made using this method!

Duct Tape Portraits

My dad is one of those guys who is impossible to shop for because he already has everything.  Everything, that is, except for a portrait of himself made entirely from duct tape!  Over at Duct Tape Nation there is a comprehensive tutorial showing how to turn a photograph into a very unique piece of duct tape art.

Dollar Store Crafts with Duct Tape:

• Recycled Coffee Bag and Duct Tape Purse
• Use Duct Tape for Halloween Costumes! Last-Minute Firefighter Costume (Secret Ingredient: Duct Tape)

Have you made anything out of duct tape?  Show me your projects!